E3. Finding the Herd with Dr. Ryan Rana

Welcome back for the next journey of The Family Express Podcast with Kathryn de Bruin, LMFT and Ronda Evans, LMFT. This episode adventure is all about finding the herd, and the safety that comes with being connected to one's herd. Our guest today is Dr. Ryan Rana, LMFT, LPC, Ph.D. of Arkansas. All Aboard !Dr. Ryan Rana describes the significance of the felt sense of safety and connection for survival, and how losing one's herd is a threat to that safety. As Dr Ryan says, “outside of the herd, the body won’t down-regulate.” By contrast, when someone feels connected to their herd, “they can down-regulate stress and this leads to resilience.” This is exactly what The Family Express podcast is all about: destination connection and resilience.  All Aboard !4:12 Human behavior, driven by survival instincts, seeks to define relationships for connection.5:13 Addressing students' mental health means addressing social connections.7:09 Cultural challenges make it difficult to recognize systemic factors affecting children's behavior which makes effective intervention difficult.14:03 To establish trust, Ryan focuses on building a personal connection with parents before delving into parenting techniques.20:48 Ryan encourages giving parents space to express frustrations without the child present.25:19 Ryan points out that establishing trust with adults takes time, whereas kids, lacking strong protective barriers, often build trust more quickly.27:14 As a foster parent with both biological and non-biological children, Ryan acknowledges inherent vulnerabilities and attachment needs.28:31 Finding a supportive community impacts brain function, aiding stress regulation and fostering resilience in individuals.30:27 Ryan adds that creating supportive connections is crucial for adults too; even small social interactions positively impact emotional health.Thank you for listening!Kathryn an ICEEFT Certified EFT Trainer. Kathryn and Ronda are licensed marriage and family therapists, Certified EFT Supervisors and Therapists, and they are both AAMFT Approved Supervisors.You can follow KathrynFacebook  YouTube   IG  Yelp  Google +  Twitter WebsiteYou can follow Ronda Facebook   Facebook   IG  LinkedIn   Website You can follow Dr. Ryan RanaOn Facebook  WebsiteThe Leading Edge in Emotionally Focused Therapy Podcastwww.successinvulnerability.com